New holidays bad for work

It could be good for vote-catching - but bad news for the nation’s economy.

That is the Government’s view of Jeremy Corbyn’s restatement the other day of Labour’s plans to introduce four more annual Bank Holidays if Labour wins the next general election.

The plan, first announced more than a year ago, is to have public holidays on St George’s Day, St Andrew’s Day, St David’s Day and St Patrick’s Day. Nothing had been heard of it since - giving the impression Labour may have dropped the plan - until last weekend, when it was brought up again by the Labour leader.

The Tory view is to lose four more working days a year could significantly damage the UK’s economy. But it is a tricky one for the Prime Minister, because such a policy would be highly attractive probably to millions of voters, especially as these would be paid holidays. The Conservatives will continue to argue that however attractive this proposition may sound, it could have the effect of putting many firms out of business. Four more days in which the wheels of industry stop turning may not seem much, but it could just be the tipping point at which many firms might have to lay off workers.

l Wales is looking for a new First Minister now Carwyn Jones (pictured) is stepping down to enable him to become more of a family man than was possible in that post. I see the politically correct zealots have already stepped in, suggesting that it would be a good idea for Jones to be succeeded by a woman or someone belonging to an ethnic minority.

Why should someone’s gender or their ethnic origins be a factor in selecting the new Welsh First Minister?

Those who are advocating this are the very people who constantly preach against racism and sexism. Yet here they are again, practising it themselves, although they lamely excuse themselves by calling it positive discrimination.

Whatever euphemism they choose to use, it is discrimination nonetheless. The person who is selected should be someone, irrespective of gender or ethnicity, who is regarded as the best person for the job - not the other way round.